As Nichs rode out, he saw Clifford in the distance, which finally put his mind at ease.


    He knew how fearless Clifford was once people were willing to give their all and feared nothing, they could achieve anything.


    This was the war Nichs had dreamed of the battle for his great cause.


    All the calmness he had once carried disappeared. The suppressed fire in his blood surged through his limbs, and the desire to rule the world filled him with an overwhelming strength and conviction.


    He believed that ambition was the most powerful force in the world, and that it was unstoppable.


    What he didn''t realize was that ambition wasn''t the strongest force. The greatest forces were love and hate, justice and unity.


    It was the patriotism of Carissa, themander of the Mystic Army!


    It was the hatred of Carissa, whose family had been ughtered!


    It was also the union of soldiers and martial artists, working together to expel the rebels and uphold justice for the people!


    Nichs quickly realized something was wrong. The soldiers led by Clifford had all taken off their military uniforms, revealing civilian clothes underneath. Embroidered on the fabric was the Spencer family''s crest. They were from the Spencer family!


    He realized he had been tricked. It wasn''t Clifford who had arrived, but the Spencer family''s people, along with a group of martial artists.


    No matter how skilled Nichs was, he was trapped and couldn''t evenmand his troops once Adrian appeared.


    However, the rebel army led by Hans was incredibly fierce. They pressed forward, fighting their way from the river to the two main streets. Beyond that was the Royal Street.


    Carissa led them toward Royal Street. It was the closest street to the pce, with few civilians, so there wouldn''t be any innocent casualties.


    The gates of the noblemen''s estates in the capital were shut tight, their most trusted guards stationed to prevent any rebels from breaching and taking them hostage.


    Some brave souls were not afraid of death and had climbed up to the walls to watch the battle. Though terrified and their legs were shaking, they couldn''t help but reassess Mystic Army''s strength.


    As it turned out, the Mystic Army was this strong!


    Yes, many people in the capital had forgotten just how formidable the Mystic Army once was, especially after a group of idle nobles had made the Garrison Unit a mess. The people hadpletely lost hope in the so-called Mystic Army.


    -


    On top of that, theirmander had even been reced-it was no longer the Hell Monarch.


    Now, they saw it- though this wasn''t the Mystic Army led by the Hell Monarch, it was still just as fierce. Carissa and her subordinates were covered in blood-enemy blood. They all felt conflicted-they had to kill, but it still hurt to do so.


    This battle waspletely different from the one fought at the Southern Frontier, especially for Carissa. Even though she was filled with hatred, it wasn''t the same as when facing the Sandoria soldiers.


    These were people from Starhaven-citizens of the kingdom. They had just been used by the rebels and led astray.


    And the price they had to pay for being led astray was death.


    Within the pce, the gates were heavily guarded. Messengers continuously entered to report the progress of the battle to Salvador.


    At first, when he heard the news that the forces were closing in on Royal Street, his heart sank. He began to doubt Carissa''s ability to handle the situation. But as more reports came in, saying the Mystic Army was closing in on the rebels and victory seemed near, his worried heart eased slightly.


    In contrast to his restless pacing, Victoria, who hade specifically to keep himpany, remained remarkably calm. She evenforted him.


    "There''s no need to worry. With the Mystic Army here, the rebels stand no chance."


    Victoria knew her son was burdened with worries, so she spoke carefully. She didn''t mention the


    Pathfinders Guild or Carissa, but emphasized the strength of the Mystic Army.


    Either way, the glory of the victory would belong to the one who earned it no one could escape that. This time, Salvador praised, "With Carissa here, I can rest easy."


    Victoria nced at him, hoping that was truly what he thought.


    The rain washed away the bloodstains on the main streets, and the entire capital seemed to carry the scent of blood.


    Adrian and Nichs had shed, but Nichs had managed to escape. It took a great deal of effort for Adrian to track him down.


    It wasn''t hard for Adrian to kill him,


    but capturing him alive was more challenging: Nichs was skilled in evasion, and his Lightfoot Skill was remarkable. He escaped several times, but in the end, he couldn''t get away.


    Adrian fired two shots from his six-barreled matchlock, hitting Nichs in both legs. He could escape no


    longer.


    With Nichs caught, the Mystic Army rode around shouting, "The rebel prince is captured! Drop your weapons and surrender, and you may still have a chance to survive!"


    But Hans was beyond reason, his eyes filled with rage.


    With hisrge de raised, he


    shouted, "Charge into the pce and


    kill the damn king! That''s the only way we''ll have a chance to survive!


    Don''t believe their lies! Throughout history, rebels never end well!"